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The more sexually active you are, the more your prostate will cooperate

Submitted by: Marc C Gittelman, M.D.

Submitted on: February 13, 2007

Q: I am in my mid-50s and it seems like my prostate is going to retire before I do. I have noticed much less semen upon ejaculation. Is this part of aging or is there something that I can do about what seems to be a worsening problem?

A: The prostate is integrally linked to a man’s sexual health as well as to his urinary symptoms. We typically think that when men get prostate “problems” they are related to cancer or enlargement. But with aging come some definite changes in a man’s sexual health and some of these changes are related to the aging prostate.

In young men, the prostate helps to provide a nutrient to the semen that is important to the health and survival of the sperm as they travel to meet a woman’s egg for a possible pregnancy. Many men continue to make sperm in their later decades of life and can still impregnate their partners even if they are in the premenopausal years. But the prostate and the other glands that help to produce the semen begin to slow down by age 50, and even earlier for some men. That may translate into a decreased amount of ejaculate form any men with each passing decade.

There is great variability in this because the amount of fluid varies dramatically from man to man and from decade to decade. Almost any type of prostate problem will be a negative for this aspect of your sexuality. Whether it’s prostate enlargement or cancer or simply taking medications to help shrink the prostate, there can be an effect on your lovemaking. We have learned that there are some clear-cut changes with age and prostate enlargement. With increasing prostate size there is a distinct decrease in frequency of intercourse and there is a correlation with decreased sexual function and worsening ejaculatory problems. This may lead to noticeable change in the quality of the sex you enjoy. But there are some things to keep in mind that may be helpful. The more sexually active you are, the more likely your prostate will continue to make the necessary fluids on a regular and consistent basis. Also, a longer time between lovemaking may translate into more volume released. Any many men report that a prolonged period of foreplay helps to increase the amount of fluid that is released.

In the long run, apply the “use-it-or-lose-it” rule in the hopes that you can keep yourself and your prostate from an early sexual retirement.